Sara Frances Kerr

EDUCATION

Doctor of Philosophy, Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences, Texas A&M University,
College Station, August 1993.

Diswnation: Leishmania mexicana (Kinetoplastida: Trypanosomatidae) in Neoloma micropus Muridae): A field study of prevalence and wmnal transmission and a simulation model of the transmission cycle. Advisor: Dr. Norman 0. Dronen, Jr.

Master of Agriculture, Wfldlife Science, Texas A&M University, College Station, May 1980
Advisor: Dr. Jack M. Inglis

Bachelor or Science, Biology, Portland State University, Portland, Oregon, May 1980

Teaching Certificate, Michigan State University, East Lansing, May 1973

Bachelor of Arts, Sociology, University of Texas, Austin, May 1972

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Associate Professor of Biology (1998-present), Assistant Professor of Biology (1993-1998), University of the Incarnate Word, San Antonio Texas (1993 -1998)

Associate Curator of Natural Sciences (1983-92), Assistant Curator (1981-82),
Witte Museum, San Antonio, Texas

Research Technician (1979-81), Teaching Assistant (1977-78), Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas

Migrant Program Teacher, Lansing School District, Lansing, Michigan, 1973-1974

TEACHING

Undergraduate classes: Aquatic Biology, Diversity of Life Lecture and Lab, Ecology Lecture and Lab, Epidemiology and Ecology of Emerging Diseases, Evolution, Independent Studies, Scientific Inquiry, Seminar.

Graduate classes: Ecology, Emerging Disease Research, Biogeography

PUBLIC EDUCATION

Project Director for the following museum exhibits at the Witte Museum:

Texas Wild: Ecology Illustrated, Witte Museum, 1986
Ecolab Nature Center and Live AWmal Exhibit, Witte Mu@ 1986 Animal Senses, Witte Museum, 1984 Butterflies: Color on the Wing, Witte Museum, 1983
Dinosaurs: Vanished Texans, Witte Museum, 1983
Sounds of South Texas, Witte Museum, 1982

Writer/producer for the following educational videos:
Venomous Insects, Spiders and other Arthropods, 10 minutes, 1990
Fossils: Clues to Ancient Life, 6 1/2 niinutes, 1990
The Edwards Aquifer: A Texas Treasure, 20 minutes, 1989
Texas Nature Celebration, 27 minutes, 1989
Texas Wild: Ecology Illustrated, 8 1/2 minutes, 1986

SCHOLARSHIP AND CREATIVITY

Kerr, S.F., Grant, WE. and Dronen Jr., N.O. 1997. A simulation model of the infection cycle of Leishmania mexicana in Neotoma micropus. Ecological modeling: 98: 187-198.

Kerr, S.F., C. P. McHugh and N.O. Dronen, Jr. 1995. Leishmaniasis in Texas: Prevalence and seasonal transmission of Leishmania mexicana in Neotonta micropus. American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 53: 73-77.

McConnick, B., C. MacKinnon, and S.F. Kerr. 1994. Observational investigation of systematics, physiology, and behavior of vertebrates in a living collection. In Tested studies for laboratory teaching. Proceedings of the Association for Biological Laboratory Education.

McHugh, C. P., M. Grogl, and S.F. Kerr. 1990. Isolation of Leishmania mexicana from
Neotoma micropus collected in Texas. Journal of Parasitology 76: 741-742.

Kerr, S.F. 1986. Effective interaction in a natural science exhibit. Curator 29(4): 265-277,

Kerr, S.F. 1984. Sounds of South Texas: A computer controlled natural science exhibit. Curator 27(1): 49-57.

McCormick, B., S. F. Kerr, C. MacKinnon and A. Berndtson. 1997. Laboratory manual for Diversity of Life. University of the Incarnate Word, San Antonio, Texas.

Kerr, S.F. 1979. Terrestrial habitat evaluation criteria handbook: Ecoregion 2522, Edwards Plateau. Project Impact Evaluation, Division of Ecological Services, Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Department of Interior.

Brown, W.P., R. Doering and S.F. Kerr. 1980, Mammals. In Silvy, N.S. (ed.) Terrestrial habitat evaluation criteria handbook: Ecotegion 3212, West Texas. Project Impact Evaluation, Division of Ecological Services, Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Department of Interior.

Brown, W.R., R. Doering and S.F. Kerr. 1980. Mammals. In Sflvy, N. S. (ed.) Terrestrial habitat criteria handbook: Ecoregion 2523, South Texas. Project Impact Evaluation, Division of Ecological Services, Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Department of Interior.

Brown, W.R., R. Doering and S.F. Kerr, 1980. Mammals. In Silvy, N. S. (ed.) Terrestrial
habitat criteria handbook: Ecoregion 2512, East Central Texas. Project Impact Evaluation, Division of Ecological Services, Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Department of Interior.

Invited oral presentation:

Kerr, S.F. and C.P. McHugh, Vertebrate hosts of Leishmania mexicana and a simulation model of the transmission cycle, Society of Vector Ecology, 1997, Orlando, Florida.

Oral presentations:

Carrion, R., P.C., Melby, C. P. McHugh, R. A. Alvarez, S. F. Kerr. Detection of Leishmania infected reservoir hosts using the Polymerase Chain Reaction. American Society of Tropical Medicine 1995 Annual Meeting, San Antonio, Texas.

McHugh C.P. and S. F. Kerr. Leishmaniasis in Texas: Epidemiology and Ecology. South Central Regional Mosquito Control Conference, 1995, Galveston, Texas.

McCormick, B., S.F. Kerr and C, MacKinnon. Observational investigation of systematics, physiology and behavior of vertebrates in a living collection. Laboratory Workshop, Association for Biology Laboratory Education, 1994, Atlanta, Georgia.

Kerr, S.F. SOS (Save Our Specimens): Preserving Natural History Collections in Texas (chair). Texas Association of Museums Annual Meeting, Houston, 1994.

Kerr, S.F. The Ecology of Leishmania mexicana in Neotoma micropus. I.W.C. Seminar.

McHugh, C.P. and S.F. Kerr. Leishmaniasis in Texas-. Epidemiology and Ecology. Society for
Vector Ecology, San Francisco, 1992.

McHugh, C.P. and S. F. Kerr. Leishmaniasis in Texas: epidemiology and ecology. of the Texas mosquito control association, 1992, San Antonio, Texas.

Kerr, S.F. Dinosaur Excitement (chair). Texas Association of Museums Annual Meeting, Fort Worth, 1988.

Kerr, S.F. High Tech in Natural Science Exhibits: Is the Expense and Trouble Worth It? International Committee of Natural History Museums, American Museum of Natural History,
New York, 1984.

Poster presentations:

Rojas, A., Kerr, S.F., and Melby, P. 1997. Infection of Neotoma micropus with a human isolate of Leishmania mexicana. Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine Meeting, San Antonio, Texas.

Alvarez, R.A., Carter, C., Barbour, A.G., Teltow, G., Kerr, S.F. The search for evidence of Borrelia sp. in rodent species of South Texas by polymerase chain reaction and the characterization of an unknown spirochete in the tick Amblyomma cajannense. National Minority Research Symposium, 1996, Miami, Florida.

Kerr, S.F., W.E. Grant and N.O. Dronen, Jr. A simulation model of the infection cycle of Leishmania mexicana in Neotoma micropus. American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 1995 Annual Meeting, San Antonio, Texas.

Kerr, S.F., McHugh, C.P., and Dronen, N.O. Jr. Leishmaniasis in Texas: Prevalence of
Leishmania mexicana in Neotoma micropus. American Society of Tropical Medicine and
Hygiene meeting, Cincinnati, Ohio, Nov 16, 1995.

Consultantships:

Invited consultant on mammalian reservoirs of Leishmania, meeting of principle investigators,
Miiddle East Research Collaborative, November, 1996, Baltimore, Maryland.

Funded grants:

National Institute of Health Academic Research Enhancement Award: "Epidemiology and Ecology of Leishmaniasis in the USA," March 1, 1997 - February 28, 1999, $96,043.

National Institute of Health Minority Biomedical Research Support Subproject 2, "Spatial and Temporal Dynamics of Leishmania mexicana in South Texas, February 1, 1997 - January 31,
2000, $475,838.

National Institute of Health South Texas Doctoral Bridge Program. Co-Project Director, co-writer and mentor for renewal (1995-1997): $187,986 Project Investigator Dr. Miguel Medina, U.T.H.S. C. S. A.) Co-Project Director and mentor, 1993-95: $139,283 (Project Investigator Dr. Damon Herbert, U.T.H.S.C.S.A.).

Roy W. and Ellen S. Quillin Foundation, $10,000 grant for purchase of a thermal cycler and computer, 1996. (Grant was written by graduate student Rene Alvarez, under my supervision),

Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board Eisenhower Science Institute. Co-Project Investigator and instructor for 1995-1996 resubmission: ($39,816) (Project Investigator Dr. Christy MacKinnon). Helped write content sections and participated as an instructor in the summer institute, 1994-1995: $68,702. (Project Investigator Dr. Christy MacKirnion).

Faculty Development Award from the Vice President of Academic Affairs, $1400 for planning of research and teaching in Nicaragua, 1996.

Incarnate Word College Faculty Development Award: $350 for page costs of publishing a scientific article.

Received a donation for the purchase of "Wildflowers of the United States" ftom Mrs. Elizabeth D. Cheever in 1994: $1800.

As the curator of natural sciences at the Witte Museum fi-om 1981-1992, I wrote or contributed to numerous successful grants directed to private foundations, individuals and government
agencies.

Civic achievements or recognition for one's professional role:

Selected as a panelist for Seek Out Science/Discovering Women, presented by the Witte Museum and K.L.R.N.-TV on January 19,1995.

Sacramento International Film Festival Silver Star, Texas Association of Museums Merit Citation and Houston Film Festival Citation, 199 1, for video production of "Venomous Insects, Spiders and Other Arthropods".

Texas Association of Museums Merit Citation and San Antonio Conservation Society Award, 1991, for video production of "Texas Nature Celebration".

Sacramento International Film Festival Silver Star, Texas Association of Museums Merit Citation and San Antonio Conservation Society Award, 1990, for video production of 'The Edwards Aquifer: A Texas Treasure" .

Texas Association of Museums Gold Citation, 1986, for video production of "Texas Wild: Ecology Illustrated".

Best Interpretive Exhibit of 1984, Texas Historical Commission, for "Animal Senses".

Best Educational Program of 1984, Texas Historical Commission, for "Chasing Tracks".

PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

American Society of Mammalogists, American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, Ecological Society of America, Sigma Xi Southwestern Association of Naturalists

Chair, Natural Sciences Committee, Texas Association of Museums, 1992-1994.

Member of the local arrangements committee, American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 44th Annual Meeting, November, 1995, San Antonio, Texas.